Harrison Dillard

William Harrison "Bones" Dillard (July 8, 1923 – November 15, 2019) was an American track and field athlete, who is the only male in the history of the Olympic Games to win gold in both the 100 meter (sprints) and the 110 meter hurdles, making him the “World’s Fastest Man” in 1948 and the “World’s Fastest Hurdler” in 1952.

Dillard was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on July 8, 1923,[3][1] and attended East Technical High School.

He entered Baldwin-Wallace College in 1941 and joined Pi Lambda Phi International Fraternity, and two years later was drafted into the U.S. Army, serving in the all-black 92nd Infantry Division known as the Buffalo Soldiers.

[4] According to a 1962 article written by Trinidadian Olympic sprinter Mike Agostini for Australia's The Age newspaper, Dillard was first inspired as a youngster by Charley Paddock, who Agostini says visited Dillard at his high school and encouraged him to follow his dream of becoming an Olympic champion like himself.

[5] Dillard returned to college in 1946, and resumed athletics, inspired by Jesse Owens, who, like him, was from Cleveland and had attended East Technical High School.

Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt with Harrison Dillard holding the 1948 London Olympics torch, August 1, 2012.